


Timeless (Hollow Knight Almost AU)

by MacabreLullaby



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Broken Vessel is Tikk, Brumm being a simp, Greenpath Vessel is named Kona, Grimm is a creepy bastard, Hollow Knight is Hollow, Hornet is a fugitive and a maid, Infection never happened, NO BUG LEWDITY, Other, Radiance sympathizing, Radiance talks to Hollow, Seer being a simp, Seriously she's lost so much I love her bls, The Knight is Ghost, Time Shenanigans, Void is Ghost's imaginary friend, We stan Herrah, lomv me creeby spider lady, slight AU, sloooooooooowburrrrrn, something isnt quite right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29058369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MacabreLullaby/pseuds/MacabreLullaby
Summary: They had fallen.But had they waken? One could not be so sure.Life before the infection was dull, but appreciated. The kingdom thrived. The King remained a mystery within his palace walls. Everyday goes by the same, time is but a reminder of what opportunities are missed, what emptiness the higher beings long to fill in secret.Until one of them accidentally finds a secret room, accidentally summons a demon, and accidentally makes life a whole lot harder for everyone.
Relationships: Grimm/The Knight (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	1. Fallen (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> Content warnings for chapters to be viewed here. 
> 
> Enjoy reading!

Falling.

They were falling.

Down…

Or maybe they were floating?

Looking around, all they saw was black. The only thing they felt was ice cold wind blowing passed, ruffling their cloak around them.

Where were they?

How had they gotten here?

_Where would they end up?_

Questions plagued the mind of the weary, rattling them to their very core as they were helpless to change their fate. At the mercy of something else, unable to do anything 

but watch and wait.

**_There…_ **

**Down…**

**_Over…_ **

**Better…**

**_Leave…_ **

**Never…**

**_Free…_ **

**Chained…**

**_Empty…_ **

**Pretend… ******

**_Unfair…_ **

**Undecided…**

**_Where is it going?_ **

**Somewhere better.**

**_What will it do?_ **

**Feed the Fates.**

The two voices communicate peacefully, yet there is something else, deeply ingrained into the conversation. Deeply ingrained into the beings speaking around it. Power, control, sacrifice, fear.

Something deeper…

Something stronger.

Something… _familiar._

They tried feebly to reach out to the beings, ask them questions, plead for help.

The only response was the howling of wind.

Down below, something appeared.

A bright light.

A white circle.

Bright.

Warm.

_Familiar…_

**_Good luck, little one._ **

**Return to your roots. Connect with the past.**

**_Remember…_ **

**Save us all.**


	2. Suffocation (Chapter 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oddities plague the palace on this day, leaving Ghost a wanderer of their home, searching for a purpose. However, it seems their purpose is also looking for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important Clarifications: The vessels can understand each other (basically speaking to each other telepathically, for lack of a better description) and ONLY each other. Vessels talking to each other will be in italics (some other dialogue will be in italics, such as whispers, beyond walls or doors if someone is listening in, flashbacks/dreams/memories, and speech from something invisible directly into someone's mind. Context is usually obvious. Some other creatures can understand the vessels, not hear what they're saying, but can sense their emotions (the seer, shamans, etc.). Hollow goes by both Rein and Hollow, Hollow in the story and from the other vessels, and Rein from everyone else.

The quiet sound of knocking roused Ghost from their blankets. They stirred before rising from the warmth of their bed. Despite the silk curtains hanging in front of the large window adjacent to the door being opened, the room was completely dark. The lumaflies outside hadn’t woken to share their glow and light the kingdom yet. As Ghost padded across the floor to answer the knocking, the lumaflies within their own room began to brightly glow, lighting it in an instant.

  


The door swung open, revealing the newly joined maid. She had only started working in the palace a few weeks ago, but Ghost liked her. A lot more than the other maids. She seemed to be the only one with a free mind; they once overheard her challenging the King himself. They half expected to find her gone the next morning.

  


In a way, she reminded them of Ze’mer. Physically and mentally, the two couldn’t be more different. This particular maid was the only other bug in the entire palace to wear a veil. An oversized one at that - it covered her entire head and fell to the floor, concealing her face from view. In fact, they wondered if perhaps Ze’mer had lent it to her. Under the veil she wore the same garments every maid wore, though they had slight touches that made them more fancy. A solid white cloak was buckled with a blue clasp, over a white poncho. It was clearly of finer creation than the other maid outfits, with the smallest sliver of a petticoat visible under the silk poncho. The poncho was decorated with silver embroidery, something only the queen’s dresses and formal attire for the great knights had.

  


They had no idea why a maid would be allowed to wear something so fancy, let alone something that was clearly embroidered by the queen herself, but they learned long ago not to question the choices the king made.

  


The maid, called Hela, bowed to Ghost as they faced her.

  


“Master Ghost,” She greeted. “The king and queen await your presence in the dining hall.”

  


The smaller bug nodded, grabbing their nail from its perch beside the door before fully stepping out of their room. They bowed to Hela before turning to continue on their way.

  


“Oh, and Ghost-” Hela spoke before they had taken more than five steps. They turned to face her, curious as to what she wanted. “Go through the courtyard today.”

  


Ghost wanted to question her, but she turned away, heading down the hall and eventually disappearing from sight.

  


Without much further thought, they headed for the courtyard.

  


The east hall was a much faster route, one they usually took. The only time they ever visited the courtyard was if they were looking for Kona or they ran into their sibling before making it to the east hall, where they would then accompany them on their walk through the courtyard.

  


As they entered the courtyard through elaborate glass doors, a crisp chill of outside air made them pull their cloak tighter around them. Yet another downside to walking through the courtyard - it was always freezing this early in the morning. Despite the refreshing smell of the cold air, it was still suffocating. This deep in the kingdom there was no fresh air, and the surrounding area being composed of only fossils didn’t help. At least the courtyard flowers helped add some form of pleasant smell, they supposed.

  


Despite the dreary atmosphere of the basin, the palace itself was peaceful and beautiful. The entire thing made of pale ore, it glowed brightly and looked horribly out of place compared to the brown fossils and petrified trees everywhere else.

  


The Pale King had an eye for shiny things, hence the near blinding construction of the palace. And the White Lady - she loved plants. The king made sure that plants were scattered all around the palace, lining every window, decorating every pillar and hanging over every doorway. It added a small bit of life to the otherwise empty palace halls. There was even the occasional splash of color from the flowers the queen often brought back from her garden, though it wasn’t enough to hinder the crushing void of the white palace.

  


Lost in thought, Ghost barely noticed that they had arrived outside of the dining hall. The giant double doors stood before them, the lower set of handles gleaming from the nearby lumafly lamps. The palace doors were all like this - tall enough to accommodate the White Lady, with a second set of shorter handles for the king and palace staff.

  


Ghost and two of their siblings also had to use these handles - Ghost and Kona especially. Tikk was at least slightly taller than the king. Ghost and Kona were not so lucky.

  


Opening the rather heavy door revealed the suffocating silence of the large and empty dining hall. The soft clinking of silverware and the occasional shuffling of the servants were the only sounds. The wall adjacent to the entrance was barren, with a few plants and a set of doors keeping the kitchen separate from the dining hall. The other two walls were lined in floor to ceiling windows, pillars separating each window and large flower pots in front of them. The table sat in the center of the room, twice the amount of chairs the royal family actually used were present. Few servants stood around the windows, standing by while they waited to be told to do something or for the family to finish.

  


The king sat at the head of the table closest to the kitchen, while the queen sat to his left. Hollow sat to the right of the king, Tikk and Kona sitting next to the queen. Ghost took their seat next to Hollow. Not disturbing the silence that had settled in the room, Ghost began eating.

  


Most breakfasts went by with minimum chatter, though few were completely silent. Breakfast always dulled mornings. The king had nothing outside of duties to tell his children, and the queen wasn’t one for morning conversation. The siblings never said anything to each other, either. The king and queen would not be able to hear them, but the heavy air hanging over the table left even Tikk without anything to say.

  


In no time, Ghost’s plate was clear. Looking around, their siblings’ plates were also clear. The queen set her fork down gently, clearing her throat quietly before addressing Hollow.

  


“Rein, your studies will begin now. Monomon will be arriving soon to aid you; you will head directly to the library.” Hollow nodded, bowing to the king to signal their leave. After a nod of approval, they left the dining hall.

  


The remaining three siblings looked expectantly to the queen, though she would say nothing more. Tikk excused themself first. Ghost and Kona usually stayed until the king and queen were finished, and today would be no different.

  


Quiet once again settled over the table like a dark shadow. No one said anything or met gazes until the king had finished his breakfast. He then stood silently, motioning to Ghost and Kona to do the same. The vessels stood on command.

  


And then, a loud explosion rocked the palace. The dishes on the table shook, some falling off the table. Empty chairs fell over and the four family members braced themselves. Kona was knocked to the ground, Ghost nearly following them before they managed to grab the table to steady themselves. The queen stood from her chair, looking to the doors worriedly. Several of the servants standing around the room also fell over, others bracing themselves against the windows. All eyes were turned to the doors as the shaking stopped, not knowing what to expect would come bursting through them.

  


“What in the name of existence itself-” The king growled, storming towards the doors.

  


“My king and queen!” Ze’mer’s voice sounded from the dining hall doors as they were thrown open by the knight. “There’s been an assault in the east hall! The culprit is being dealt with as we speak!”

  


The royals and the knight charged towards the hall, leaving the two vessels alone. Ghost briefly thought back to their travel through the courtyard, instructed by the maid. It wasn’t as surprising as it should have been, in the few times they’d encountered the maid she demonstrated a certain knowledge - similar to that of the king’s, in fact.

  


Ghost made their way around the table to help up their sibling, who gave them a grateful glance before returning their attention to the doors.

  


_“Do we go check that out?”_ Kona asked. Ghost shrugged.

  


_“We’d probably get in the way. Wanna go find Tikk instead?”_

  


_“Tikk is probably helping. Let’s go to the courtyard.”_

  


Ghost nodded. The courtyard would be deserted with the threat of an intruder taking everyone’s full attention. As carefree as one could be considering the fact that the palace was under attack, the two vessels made their way to the courtyard. They didn’t feel the need to help as Hollow and Tikk likely had, as the two smallest and most inexperienced children they’d only get in the way. Ghost had learned to use a nail when they were much younger, but their lack of growth as they got older drove the king to ending their training.

  


Ghost took a seat on one of the benches while Kona began tending to the many flowers in the garden. There wasn’t much of a variety, but even the limited colors of the plant life gave limitless amounts of joy. It was the only place in the entire palace that wasn’t white or gray, the king would never set foot in it. If he even had to walk by the courtyard, the servants were to hang silk sheets over the windows so he didn’t have to see it. The courtyard was never supposed to be filled with this many colorful plants; in fact, when it was first built, it was mostly pathways, with minimal plants - and even those plants matched the ones everywhere else in the palace. The queen hated it, so she started bringing in flowers from her personal garden, and eventually the king gave in and rebuilt it to her liking.

  


Even if the king was cold and distant, especially to his children, it was obvious that he held a soft spot for the queen. Ghost often tried to remind themself of that.

  


They watched as Kona delicately picked a dying flower, setting it aside and continuing to inspect the bush the flower had come from.

  


_“How long do you think it will take them to clean up the east hall?”_

  


_“Not long. Father would lose his head if it wasn’t resolved quickly.”_

  


A nice silence settled over the siblings, the only sound coming from wind rustled leaves. Ghost looked to the intricate ceiling above, the white cloister vault accented by silver somehow adding to the peaceful atmosphere of the courtyard. Six dormers that lacked glass extended to the outside of the palace, allowing fresh air in.

  


Ghost watched as Kona pulled a white berry from one of many bushes, eating it with a wet squish. Ghost didn’t particularly enjoy the berries, they lacked taste for the first few bites, then turned spicy. But not a noticeable spicy, just a soft tingling and an almost sweet taste. They were average berries, and unlike their family, Ghost wasn’t very fond of average.

  


Just as Kona was settling into the bushes to begin the delicate art of weaving flowers and leaves together, Tikk burst through the courtyard doors. Both vessels jumped from the sudden noise, Ghost nearly falling off the bench as they swiveled around to see who was causing such a commotion.

  


_“That. Was. So cool!”_ Tikk practically lept to the bench, flopping down next to Ghost. _“Nothing like that EVER happens!!”_

  


Ghost stared at their sibling, patiently awaiting elaboration.

  


_“What happened?”_ Kona asked.

  


_“So, this hooded figure who apparently hates father found the palace!”_ For such a serious threat, Tikk talked about it as if it was a shiny new nail. Ghost and Kona shared a look of confusion and concern at their sibling’s tone. _“They blew up a wall in the east hall! And they started fighting Isma and Ogrim - who didn’t stand a chance!”_

  


_“Oh, no! Are they okay?”_ Kona demanded, accidentally crumpling a few leaves as they began twisting their hands with worry.

  


_“They’re in the medical ward, they’ll be fine by tonight. But anyways! Hegemol and Dreyya had to get involved, and then Ze’mer went to get mother and father, and then Hollow and I showed up! And we were all fighting, but then they got away. There’s a HUGE hole in the wall though! And glass everywhere. The servants are cleaning it up now so we can’t go there, but it was really cool!”_ Tikk bent over, beginning to pluck berries from a bush near the bench and happily eating them. Ghost cringed, not understanding how their sibling could actually like those things.

  


_“I think father is going to track down that old moth lady to find whoever did it. No one got a good look at their face, father’s furious. From the sounds of it, he’ll be having a meeting with the knights to figure out what to do.”_ Tikk explained.

  


_“I think that’s wise.”_ Kona agreed, holding up a now finished crown made of flowers. They set it on Tikk’s head, earning a soft protest from the vessel, though they didn’t attempt to remove the crown.

  


It had been years since the moth had actually been inside the palace - she only came by invitation from the king, and left as soon as her business was finished. Ghost had talked to her, once, briefly. She seemed nice.

  


Until then, Ghost was intent on avoiding the king. When the king was in a bad mood, anyone unlucky enough to be in his presence would be put into a sour mood themselves.

  


_“Did Hollow finish their studies, then?”_ Ghost asked, hoping to find some quiet time in the library.

  


_“I don’t think so. They left immediately after everything cleared up.”_

  


Ghost stood from the bench, disappointed that they would have to wait to indulge in their daily activity of reading too many books in one sitting. No one was allowed in the library while Hollow was studying. Only Monomon, her assistant, Hollow themself, and one or two servants. Sometimes Dreyya would oversee their studies, but only if the queen suspected they were falling behind.

  


_“I’m going to go for a walk.”_ They announced, leaving their siblings. Kona and Tikk bid them goodbye as they left the courtyard, heading towards the west hall. The east hall would most likely be open again late that night. They decided to keep their distance until the next morning.

  


The west hall looked identical to the east hall. A long, colorless hallway, devoid of sound, with two large double doors on either end. Ghost watched their feet as they walked, keeping their eyes off of the surrounding walls. The entire palace was incredibly suffocating, there was so much white, so little sound. They wanted nothing more than to leave, even if it was just to see the surrounding basin.

  


Even the decrepit state of the basin would feel more full than the palace - the wind, the sound of the few creatures within…

  


Ghost paused to look out one of the windows. The basin stretched out before them, walls and brass platforms eventually fading into darkness. Where the palace was, the natural life of the basin could not reach. Few citizens of the kingdom knew the basin even existed, the few that did avoided it.

  


A sentry guard noticed Ghost from their post above the window. Ghost waved, but the sentry turned away. Guards were not allowed to interact with the children of the king and queen.

  


Feeling more tense than ever, Ghost made their way through identical corridors, making their way towards the opposite side of the palace where the queen’s chambers were located. Pushing open a side door in one of the corridors, they ascended the stairs beyond it.

  


Through another door at the top of the stairs revealed the hallway across the palace from where Ghost’s room was located, lined with several evenly spaced, identical doors. At the end was a significantly larger set of doors, almost completely covered in plants. But not the typical white ones, the plants were green and blue and purple. Ghost eagerly headed towards the color.

  


As they were arriving at the doors, they suddenly swung open. Out walked Hollow, armored cape and all.

  


Ghost meant to pass by their sibling with no trouble - they never talked outside of the king making them. Hollow spent most of their time studying and training, or being showered with affection from the king. The king, cold and distant to everyone else, including his other three children, often got soft around Hollow. He tried to hide it, but the other three vessels noticed. It only really bothered Tikk. Kona was happy to have the majority of the queen’s affections, and Ghost was content to read in the library. Maybe it stung a little bit, but not nearly as much as the coldness they got from their sibling.

  


Hollow grabbed Ghost by the arm as they passed each other, effectively stopping the other vessel.

  


_“Mother does not wish to be disturbed.”_ Was all they said. Ghost’s chest constricted ever so slightly at the notion that they wouldn’t be able to visit their mother. They wanted to ignore Hollow and burst in anyways. Even if the queen would be annoyed, she would undoubtedly make time for the smallest vessel. She was far more gentle than the king.

  


_“Oh. Okay.”_ Ghost pulled their arm away from Hollow, turning to walk the other direction with no arguments to make. The taller vessel was quite intimidating, and with Ghost’s mediocre nail compared to Hollow’s large, freshly sharpened nail, they wouldn’t win a fight. With Hollow, it always came to a fight. Tikk had learned that lesson long ago.

  


Hollow watched as Ghost turned the corner, heading down a pathway that connected the west wing of the palace to the south wing. They were entering the king’s main area of the palace, where his chambers were located. Swiftly turning to head back to the main floor, they decided to avoid getting caught lurking around the king’s chambers.

  


The grand staircase led them down to the atrium, a part of the palace that was far from most areas Ghost frequented. Mainly due to the fact that it led to rooms Ghost was almost never allowed in. One of which, concealed by two massive double doors beneath the staircase, was the throne room.

  


The doors being closed meant that the king was inside, probably having that discussion Tikk mentioned. Ghost couldn’t help the immediate curiosity they felt when they heard faint voices coming through the door. Looking around to make sure no one was around, they crept down the stairs to directly outside the door, listening closely.

  


_“This attack will not go unpunished! We need to make an example of this, and show all of those other **beasts** that this behavior will not be tolerated!”_

  


_“This is the first time it's happened, Dreyya. We have no proof that it will happen again, and we will find whoever did it - but public humiliation? **Torture**? We should lock them up like any other prisoner, not make our small problems huge issues. How will the citizens react to this?”_

  


_“Besides, wasn’t it kind of **your** fault that they got away in the first place?”_

  


_“Isma!”_

  


_“I’m not wrong! If she hadn’t lost her temper we would have had it under control!”_

  


_“Why, you-”_

  


“Well, little Ghost, isn’t snooping rude?” Ghost turned around quickly at the sound of a voice. The seer stood before them, giving them a rather amused look. They nodded sheepishly. “It’s alright, I understand the pull to answer every question that pops into our minds. You’re just lucky it was I who found you.”

  


Ghost nodded again, stepping away from the door. The seer turned her attention to said door, scowling as the heated discussion between Dreyya, Hegemol and Isma turned into loud arguing.

  


“I suppose I ought to stop them from making fools of themselves. Such children, giving into the dangerous shadows of rage. Best to let the shadows sleep, wouldn’t you agree?” Ghost could’ve chuckled at the strange way the seer spoke, instead nodding to her question. “But it has been quite some time since we’ve spoken. I was hoping to be invited back sooner after our last encounter, but alas, it seems the king only has use for those who are of use to him. Such a fogged old mind, clouded by...uh. Nevermind. Say, I’ve got a gift for you. I wanted to give it to you sooner, but my visits have been few and far between. Meet me in the lower levels later, before that big wooden door.”

  


Curiosity immediately filled Ghost, but the seer didn’t say anything more. She disappeared into the throne room, allowing Ghost to hear just how loud the arguing had gotten for a brief moment before the doors closed.

  


Without any hesitation, they headed for the entrance to the lower tunnels. They knew exactly what door the seer was talking about, they’d never been beyond it, but they’d passed it many times. They could only hope the seer wouldn’t be kept from them for too long. Waiting around was sure to get boring fast.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out when you say "weekly updates", your entire life is likely to say "go fuck yourself". Normal schedule resumed either this upcoming week or the week after. 
> 
> ♣♦♥♠

**Author's Note:**

> Every other week updates.
> 
> ♣♦♥♠


End file.
